Maha shivarathri

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Maha shivarathri

Our life is a loop of birth, existence, and death. These three stages are the core elements of nature. In Hinduism these strands are associated with three energy sources- the Holy trinity- Lord Brahma the creator, Lord Vishnu the Preserver, and Lord Shiva the destroyer. Lord Shiva is the ultimate truth one cannot deny and he is the power that enables life to sustain in equilibrium. He is known to be the Adi guru- the first guru of all. Maha Shivaratri is a festival celebrated by praising lord shiva to evoke the spirit of victory over evil thoughts or deeds. Shivarathri is the day before the new moon. This implies that there are 12 Shivarathris in a year and the thirteenth is considered the most auspicious which occurs during February or March.

There are many stories related to this special day. Devotees leading family life consider this to be the wedding anniversary of lord shiva and goddess Parvati. Some people believe it to be the day when Siva performed his sacred dance. Ambitious devotees believe that it is the day when Shiva rescued the world from the immense heat of the great poison by keeping it in his own throat. Great sages believe that lord shiva became extremely still during his meditation and came into existence as a lingha uniting with Mount Kailash.

The stories might differ and it depends upon the devotee who is looking up to Lord shiva. In short, it's a celebration to remember the ultimate power and surrender in front of him. As the name implies, Maha Shivarathri is the ‘Great Night of Shiva’. Unlike other festivals, it is celebrated during the night. It spreads the message of seeking light through the darkness.

Maha Shivaratri is considered the darkest night of the year. Scientifically this day can be seen as the alignment of high cosmic energy towards the northern hemisphere of our earth. That is why one stays awake and sits erect in meditation or chanting Shiva mantras during the night to receive this immense energy. This cosmic power energizes humanityand brings him to the ultimate awareness of life.

Devotees choose diversified ways to honor Lord Shiva; they stay awake by chanting the mantra ‘om Namah shivaya’, visiting temples, indulging in deep meditation, or even doing auspicious pujas to the divine.

Lord Shiva known for his quick temper, blesses his devotees quickly too. Being the destroyer of evil he is also a giver of immense love and protection.

People also stay fasting the whole day chanting the shiva mantra expressing their devotion toward him and seeking his blessings. Many conduct Rudrabhishekam with the help of pandits by offering milk, water, honey, and even sugarcane syrup to cool the almighty. Offering Datura flowers and fruits is considered special for him.

This year Mahashivaratri falls on March 11th. One can perform a puja or four pujas that night. The night can be divided into four quarters and different offerings are made according to the significance of time.

There are certain mantras and unique ways the puja has to be done, if not done properly it remains inefficient. Thereby one can seek the help of a pandit to conduct the puja authentically and in a proper manner.

On this auspicious day, we wish everyone an abundance of energy.